Mark Stribling, 35, from Farningham, Kent and Robert Stilwell, 33, from Dartford appeared at Medway Magistrates' Court in Kent on Monday morning for a short hearing.

They appeared on charges of helping 18 Albanian migrants, including one woman and two children, to enter the country illegally.

The hearing lasted just five minutes and the pair were remanded in custody until June 27.

Rescuers had to save the group of 18 Albanians when the small rigid hulled inflatable boats (rhib), they were travelling in began taking on water in the early hours of Sunday morning in the English Channel.

A coastguard helicopter and two lifeboats were scrambled after those on board made panicked phone calls to their families in Calais at around 11.30pm on Saturday night to say they were in difficulties.

The boats were located at around 2am on Sunday off the small Kent coastal town of Dymchurch, near Folkestone and all those on board were safely transferred to the RNLI lifeboats.

They were then taken to Dover where they were handed over to officials from UK Border Force for questioning.

It comes after a former border force chief inspector claimed repeated warnings that Britain's coastline would be flooded with migrants were ignored on his watch.

John Vine, who was independent chief inspector of borders and immigration until 2014, said a series of warnings about the threat had failed to result in "sufficient resources" being devoted to the issue if lives were not to be lost.

"In the context of small ports, we just don't know the extent of this," he told BBC Radio 4.

We are taking a gamble that nothing will ever happen in our seas and that is a risky view to take given the dangerous world we are inLord West

"But I think it is reasonable to assume that this is something that might have been happening and if this is now the start of a new trend we certainly need to gather the intelligence and the resources to nip it in the bud."

He said he found the issue "wasn't a major priority" when he raised concerns in the past.

"That is entirely reasonable: if an organisation has limited resources, it has to prioritise where its enforcement activity is," Mr Vine said.

"But clearly if this is now the start of something new, then really that ... needs to be reassessed and resources need to be put in."

He added: "We have seen the tragedies that have occurred in the Mediterranean.

"I am not a nautical person but I would have thought crossing the Channel - with all the hazards in terms of cross-Channel traffic as well as the weather and the sea conditions - are going to mean there is an equal chance of people losing their lives unless this is stopped."

Civilian vessel VOS Grace was sent to the Mediterranean last November.

Last month he pressed the Government over border security amid concerns the UK's at-sea defences were "in a very parlous state".

Speaking during an urgent question on the budget of the Border Force, Lord West said: "Our coastline outside the major ports is highly vulnerable.

"Would the minister confirm as we have sent coastguard cutters to the Mediterranean and because of defects, that we only have two coastguard cutters to look after our coastline from the Tyne round to Cornwall.

"And that we have now cancelled the airborne surveillance programme, which was able to indicate targets of interest, such as illegals coming into the country, to those cutters, because if that is the case we are in a very parlous state."

Responding, Home Office minister Lord Ahmad said he could not give operational details about the Border Force, but insisted there was sufficient capability and funding in place to maintain a presence in UK waters.